The National tribune., 1887-06-30

Il
feet were above the water, and he was climbing
with all the strength hs had to reach pro-
jecting snag to rest thereon; but failing. he
stopped, then slipped gradually, inch by inch,
down the pole until his feet were beneath the
water. Again he tried to reach the rest above
falling short Of the point before reached. So,
periodically climbing and falling back, each
time he sank lower and failed to climb as high
as before. At last he had to throw bis head
back to keep his chin above water. and climbing.
be failed to get his waist out of the food.
Ouly very few minutes and he will make
his last futile effort and the lifeless body will
be borne away on the muddy tide. Oh, how
wish could swimi Now comes Confederate
soldier in . batteau. from his camp not far in
land. hail him and send him in haste to the
rescue. With great effort, and danger to him.
self. he drags the stifiened and
ALMOST LIFELEss BODY
from that pole and bears it to place Of security
on the log cabin roof. where with vigorous rub
bing the boys soon bring him round.' Here
and there goes that batteau. taking the imperiled
To places Of safety.
And now the Jenny LINDA little steamer
fIoul Memphis-comes, and johnny" puts his
passengers on board, taking them from cabin
root. drifts and trees; myself the last one in
sight. At the boat Lieut.. McCOrd, Of Bellevue, U.
our Susan" of Castle Reed-pulls mo on
moment forget the loss of many of our brave
companions. If Susan" still lives. I wonder
ii he ever laughs over my giving him my red
flannel drawers, and of his promenade with me
through Memphis to the Quartermaster's bare
foot and clad only in red shirt and drawers.
Just after boarding the boat i saw dug
out" padded by a citizen, coming out of the
woods. and in the bottom there lay McLoyd.
helped lift him on board and lay bin on deck
aud hs fttrn Af ht han II
left Memphis he was IN hospital there, and i
know not whether he survived. but rather think
no did. McL0yd Was private in an Illinois
regiment. At Shiloh he lay for three days aud
nights, disembOweled, refusing to succumb to
wounds peltIng rains, exposure on the cold
ground. and fasting. The Surgeons took him
up, restored his bowels and sewed up the
wound. Another battle. and he had one thigh
50 badly shattered that in healing he found
himself badly crippled for life, and was then
discharged. He told me that alter he had
struggled for good while in the water he be-
came hopeless and resigned to fate, but was
saved by
LITTLE PRATTLING CHILD,
q fellow-passenger that had often seen him
petting. When he was about to sink he saw
little hand above the water, and with that feel
ing that characterizes the noble and brave to
assist the weak, he determined to save the
child, and in doing this saved his own life.
But what had become of my chiyslrous
knight of the grayi How he dignifed Z" the
gray" Silently he had disappeared when his
good work was done.wit that medesty insepars-
bic from true royalty Of heart Would that 1
knew his name.
Reaching Memphis, met young Stafford, Of
North Madison. Ind, whose father had Joined
Us at Vicksburg Gs a Sanitary Commissioner.
The fathers arms were both badly scalded, and
he was otherwise injured. The sou put two
life-preservers on his father and one on him
sell, and they hastily got upon a state-room
door in the water. horse leaping from the
boat, struck the door. knocking father and sou
of and separating them. The son was taken
up unconscious opposite Memphis by the life
bout from the Essex, aud now restored he
was inquiriDg and searching for his father.
Together he and / opened more than q hum
dred eottins on the wharf, hoping To have the
satisfaction of giving him a burial. that his
body should not be lodged on some bar to be-
come food for fishes.
Then together we visited the Office of morn
ing paper, where l for the first time gave my
real name aud command. Here we met Erwin,
IA United States scout, who had been the senior
Saiforl's companion, and he gave the young
man his fathers watch, q very valuable gold
one and told US that Mr. Stafford had been dis
covered and rescued IN an unconscious state by
some negroes on Presidents Island, having
FLoATED ~ snLEA
The son took the first boat for the Island.
where he found his father as had been told
him, aud took him To Madison some DAYS after.
!. with a number Of surviving officers was
sent To quarters at a hospital l Was sent for
that afternoon by Mrs. HartsOck, Of Illinois,
aunt of my deceased wife, who had seen my
name in the paper. Soon joined her at the
fort below.
When / returned to the city the second day
afterward was hailed at every turn, Captain.
they have left Us. You must get transpOrta-
tion for us aud take Us home" So ] gathered
up the b0ys-all who were able TO be moved,
about 2JO-and shipped them for Cairo. We
had a dozen or more scalded men laid on the
cabin floor. and nursed them. At Cairo placed
the well in barracks and the wounded in hos
pitals for the night. 1 succeeded next day in
getting cars. by which we arrived at Mattoou
at early dawn of the day following. We had had
rothing TO cat for "a hours. and there was no
way To feed the men. Citizens crowded around
to see the heroes of the great disaster who at
my request, took the boys to their homes and
break tasted them.
Then came trouble about cars. If cars should
be sent thence to indianapolis they would be-
kept for debt owing by one road to the other,
but on my personal pledge to return the
coaches We got them, which pledge the Superin-
tendent at Indianapolis cheeriully redeemed.
From Mattoon | wired the Mayor of Terre
Haute. and also Gov. Morton Terra Haute
gave Us a dinner worthy Of my grand old ns-
tive State. At indianapolis we found amhu-
lances in waiting for the disabled, and a good
supper prepared for all. Here surrendered
my charge, and, completely worn out by my
watching aud nursing on the river and rail, i
stopped at the first inn / found, that of an
EugIishman, on Illinois street, near the Union
Depot, who generously rendered the hospitali-
ties Of his house TO me and my companion.
The nervous shock, the scalding and hall
drowning had so impaired my memory that
could not recollect one name among
MORE THAN THOUSAND
with whom i had been familiar / had for
gotten schOOlmates,-the Edwardses. with whom
i had formerly boarded. / could not recall
my quondam mates of Wabash College, Harvey
Bates and many others. Many old acquaint /.
ances from Jefferson. Montgomery and Tippo-
! canoe Counties l knew to be in tho city bat
failed 10 recall one. save Lorenzo Billingsly
| whom found through the aid of Mr. Hume
a carpet merchant GU Washington street Soou
| aiterward / met old friends ut almost evey step
| and their names returned to me. Gradually
in months memory was fully restored. Fol
| weeks all the while had the rolling motion
and sensation that one experiences OH rough
| water. My lungs have never recovered from
| the injury, and. therefore. on being mustered
out, in May, 1866, j was compelled to make my
| home in the Sunny South" Icannot suryiy,
the rieors of my dear old HoOsier State Al
explosion, as the discharge Of a siege gun
| when am asleep. to this day causes a nervous
shock from which i do not recover in a month
\ Il rpmembar 1Aat har IiarI oa1t To-